Why choose the Creative Writing Programme?
Our approach to teaching creative writing is different from that of creative writing courses in Higher Education. Higher Education courses tend to mix critical and theoretical approaches to literary texts with short modules in creative writing. We believe creative writing needs to be taught as it is in other areas of the arts. Our focus therefore is primarily on the process of composition. Our aim, through carefully designed writing exercises, is to introduce you to the techniques and skills required to understand the craft of writing. You will become more aware of your individual creativity and understand your strengths as a writer. In this way you will build a strong individual writing style. We recognise the importance, alongside intellectual and critical skills, of the role of body, the emotions and intuition in creative composition. Where we draw on the wider reading and discussion of published fiction it is to support this holistic approach.
What you can expect from the programme
You will work closely with experienced, published tutors and a small group of other writers. Through exploration, experimentation, discussion, writing and wider reading:
- You will develop an understanding of the conventions of the literary form you have chosen to work in.
- You will become intuitive in the writing process and more critically conscious in the editing process.
- You will discover and realise the themes that propel your own creativity.
- You will understand the needs of your audience and be able to tailor your work to them.
- You will develop the confidence to explore ideas, challenge yourself and manage your own writing process.
Our programmes and courses cover:
Prose fiction (the novel and the short story).
Creative non-fiction (autobiography, biography, travel writing, blogs and related forms).
Poetry.
When you have finished one of these programmes you can join an advanced workshop. In our Advanced Workshops you will work alongside practicing and published writers to prepare work for publication or performance.
Creative Writing Programme (Blended) 2023-2025.
(Two-years. One morning or one evening a week for 25 weeks per year)
The Creative Writing Programme has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of writing, to provide you with the support and structure you need to push your skills to another level and to complete a planned writing project. Your course tutors will teach you the writing techniques you need to complete your work, offer you focused written feedback and help you set realistic deadlines.
Creative Writing Programme (In-person) 2023-2025.
(Two-years. One morning or one evening a week for 25 weeks per year)
The Creative Writing Programme has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of writing, to provide you with the support and structure you need to push your skills to another level and to complete a planned writing project. Your course tutors will teach you the writing techniques you need to complete your work, offer you focused written feedback and help you set realistic deadlines.
Creative Writing Programme (Online) 2023 - 2025.
(Two-years. One morning or one evening a week for 25 weeks per year)
The online version of the Creative Writing Programme (CWP) has been developed to allow writers who live abroad or who cannot travel to our programme centres to benefit from this prestigious university level writing programme. It has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of writing, to provide you with the support and structure you need to push your skills to another level and to complete a planned writing project. Whether it is a novel, a novella or collection of short stories, your course tutors will teach you the writing techniques you need to complete your work, offer you focused written feedback and help you set realistic deadlines.
Creative Non-Fiction Programme (Online) 2023-2025.
(Two years. One morning per week for 25 weeks per year)
The Creative Non-Fiction Programme has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of turning personal or researched experience into stories. It has a particular emphasis on the different forms of life writing: autobiography, biography, historically researched fiction, travel writing, diaries, journals, comic writing and blogs and teaches writing techniques that can be used in both non-fiction and creative fiction.
Advanced Writing Workshops (Face to face) 2023-2024.
(One evening a month for ten months. Starting in October)
This higher-level course has been designed for writers who have completed either the Creative Writing Programme, an undergraduate or a masters programme in creative writing, or who have work in progress and can show they are capable of working at this advanced level.
The aim of this course is to provide a forum for writers who are committed to finishing novels or collections of short stories and who are looking for a critical and supportive audience for their work in progress. It also acts as a place where writers can meet regularly to discuss the creative process, share their enthusiasm for literature, swap information on publishing and inspire and energise each other.
Advanced Poetry Workshops (Online) 2023-2024.
(20 weeks in the Autumn and Spring Terms. One morning per week)
This higher-level course has been designed for writers with prior experience of working in poetry groups, published poets or writers who have attended poetry writing courses as part of Higher Education courses and who would like to continue exploring their professional practice, writing technique and style in practical writing sessions.
Courses on the 2nd Year of the Creative Writing Programme 2023-2024.
(One year. One morning a week for 25 weeks per year)
There are limited places available on the second year of the Creative Writing Programme and the Creative Non-Fiction Programme in 2022-23. You would be joining a group of writers who have already spent a year working together developing their work. If you have had some experience of working in writing groups or short courses at university level and you have just started working on a novel, a collection of short stories or a work of historical or autobiographical storytelling, these courses will help you to focus and develop your work in progress.